Head of Housing

Up to £100k per annum

Surrey

  • Location Surrey
  • Sector Local Government
  • Client Up to £100k per annum
  • Job Type Permanent
  • Salary/Remuneration Up to £100k per annum
  • Reference GSe137636
  • Closing Date Sunday 15 November - 11.59pm

A housing leadership role with real purpose

There are housing roles where you inherit a settled service. This isn’t one of them.

Tandridge District Council is looking for an experienced and credible housing leader to take on a significant improvement brief, strengthening services, driving transformation and making sure residents see and feel the difference.

As Head of Housing, you will be the Council’s lead housing professional, with responsibility across landlord services, housing needs and homelessness, allocations and lettings, private sector housing, resident engagement and the long-term sustainability of the Housing Revenue Account.

Central to the role will be leading the Housing Transformation Programme, driving sustained improvement against the Social Housing Regulator’s Consumer Standards and strengthening governance, compliance, performance and resident confidence.

This needs someone who understands what good looks like, can quickly get underneath the issues that matter and turn improvement plans into tangible change.

The role

You will provide strategic leadership across Housing, with responsibility for:

  • leading the Housing Transformation Programme and delivering measurable service improvement;
  • strengthening assurance against the Consumer Standards and maintaining inspection readiness;
  • ensuring the long-term sustainability of the HRA;
  • maintaining strong oversight of landlord compliance, building safety, repairs and asset management;
  • strengthening resident engagement and ensuring resident voice genuinely shapes services;
  • providing trusted professional advice to Members and senior leaders; and
  • developing a confident, accountable and high-performing Housing workforce. 

The remit is broad, spanning Housing Management and Neighbourhoods, Housing Needs and Strategy, Assets and Property, and a dedicated Housing Transformation Programme.

Shaping what comes next

This appointment also comes at a defining point for local government in Surrey.

Tandridge District Council is preparing to become part of the new East Surrey Council alongside Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell, Mole Valley and Reigate & Banstead. The previous recruitment material states that the new councils are expected to be created in April 2027.

For the incoming Head of Housing, that creates a different kind of leadership opportunity: to improve and strengthen the service now, while helping to shape how housing moves into the future organisation.

You will need to balance immediate improvement with longer-term thinking, ensuring progress is embedded and the service enters its next chapter from a stronger position.

About you

We are looking for a senior housing leader with the credibility and experience to take on a role of this breadth.

You will bring significant leadership experience across housing services, alongside a strong understanding of landlord services, housing needs and homelessness, regulation and the Consumer Standards. You will have led meaningful transformation and service improvement and bring strong HRA financial understanding and experience of operating in a political environment.

But this role is about more than technical housing expertise.

We need someone who can take people with them. Someone who can build trust with residents, colleagues, Members and partners, bring clarity where things are complex and create the conditions for people to deliver.

For the right person, this is an opportunity to make a very visible difference: improving services for residents today while helping to shape the future of housing in East Surrey.

For a confidential discussion contact Kembi.Coakelin@GatenbySanderson.com and Tim.Hills@GatenbySanderson.com 

The package

Salary: Up to £100k for an exceptional appointment 
Location: Oxted / Agile
Contract: Permanent, 37 hours per week
Annual leave: 36 days, plus 8 statutory bank holidays
Benefits: Local Government Pension Scheme, flexible working including the opportunity to work from home for up to three days a week, flexi-time, payment of a relevant professional subscription and access to a discounted health scheme.

To view the job description and person specification, please scroll to the bottom of the page, tick to agree to the privacy policy, then click 'Continue to full details'.

Contacts

Kembi Coakelin: 07778 364 191
Tim Hills: 07393 011 130

Continue to full details and apply

Share this job

Featured jobs

Executive Director - Growth, Business & Skills

Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority

Hampshire

Executive Director - Economy & Delivery

Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority

Hampshire

CEO

ShelterBox

UK - Remote/Hybrid with regular travel to Cornwall

Executive Director - Syncora

The Calico Group

Lancashire